College GirlBoss: How to ACTUALLY get & stay in a workout routine.

Trend:

Summer comes around and we get super motivated to workout (and we do--yay summer body goals), then the semester starts and we slowly drop our routine...then we end up feeling annoyed with ourselves for not having the time or motivation to keep up with our health and fitness goals. We get stressed with school and work and life and because our plate is full enough we justify a lax workout routine. But do we really loose the time or is it simply not a priority and time is an easy scapegoat? Are we really benefiting from not working out...like, is it saving us THAT much time?! Either way, it happens like clockwork and the cycle continues year after year. Get fit, let go, stress, feel crappy, get fit....

Well, what I have found and proven to myself is that the above scenario is avoidable. If, you connect the dots for yourself in an alternative way than you have before, sticking to your workouts can shift from a haunting chore to an effortless tool. You’ll crave it. You’ll genuinely enjoy it.

*Now wouldn't that be nice*

Break the Trend:

Well I can say from personal experience, yes, yes it is nice and I'm not saying it like this to boast or sound caddy because God knows getting to this place took blood sweat and tears (read back story). I'm saying it to just cut the BS and expose the fact that YES --you can have larger life goals and aspirations and do the whole fit thing that *seems* impossible without mental stress and strain--in fact, you can & should use your workouts to create a positive domino effect in the rest of your life. If I can, you can--seriously.

So what's the freakin secret?! What keeps me "in-it" consistently?!

It's my approach. I don't workout solely to get fit or stay toned or even for more energy--that's too superficial of a goal to keep me in it. After 3 years of being more or less “dedicated”, I've come to understand that working out directly impacts all other parts of my life...school work, work-work, and my state of mind. When I workout, no matter the duration, I feel strong and capable--Endorphins flood my brain and when I look in the mirror I see a body, a figure, that I am responsible for shaping. All of those feelings I am responsible for creating because working out is a personal decision and commitment. Our egos, as humans, LOVE getting the all the credit, and a crazy feeling of indestructable confidence swoops in every.single.time.

It's addicting.

Thus, it's almost impossible to leave the gym mad or angry or stressed or feeling any other emotion in the negative spectrum. You are basically guaranteed to feel lifted, and its those lifted feelings that I use as my "push" for the rest of my day. So, working out isn't just working out to me--i don't do it to keep up with girl next door or fitspo on insta--i do it to maintain a strong, positive foundation for kicking a*s in the other areas of my life with less stress, a clearer mind and body confidence. I connect more dots to form a strong web of motivation rather than drawing a single line from point A) i want to be fit--to point B) cool, I'm fit.

Simply approaching your workouts with a deeper goal in mind...with a goal that will seriously impact your life/career goals, you'll see a new value in making time to sweat. So when you think about your goals, which of course, can include loosing weight or just toning up, make a point of also thinking of your larger goals and what it will take to get there. You need energy, you need a clear mind, and hell--you need to feel confident in your body in order to be shamelessly bold in your girl boss decisions. And how can you get all that--commit to something (your workouts!!!).

So, for my college girls: as school is fast approaching and your available hours to workout dwindle down because of social events, internships, work and oh yeah...school work (LOL) don't you dare drop your fitness routine--the result will be counterproductive! If 30 minutes is all you got, great--put it in your planner and treat it like a date with yourself. Keep doing this and acknowledge how you feel in the other areas of your life on the days you worked out. Guaranteed you will feel more capable and confident...less overwhelmed and out of control. So go break the cycle doves, try my approach and use your workouts as a TOOL.

So, again, you don't have to go everyday for 2 hours at time...go as often as you can and workout to achieve YOUR goals--during your workout and for all the important stuff outside the gym walls.